Guide mechanism for traveling music-sheets.



L 8. DOMAN GUIDE MECHAfvISM FOR TRAVELING MUSIC SHEETS.

APPLICATION msn MAR. 24. |908. nsnzwfn MAR. 5,19.

1,200,175. Patented Oct. 3,1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS B. DOMAN, OF ELBRIDGE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

AUTOPIANO COMPANY, A CORPORATION- F NEW YORK.

GUIDE MECHANISM FOR TR'AVELING :MUSIC-SHEETS.v

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Application med March 24, 190.8, Serial No. 422,970. Renewed March 5, 1914. Serial No. 822,765.

To all whom it may concern Elbridge, in the county of Onondaga, in the.

State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Guide Mechanism for Traveling following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full,-clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in guide mechanism for .travelingv music sheets and refers more particularly to means for automatically maintaining proper registration between the perforations of the music sheet and ducts of the tracker bar. 'These music sheets are usually made of paper and under varying condi tions of humidity they are found to expand and-'contract more or less thereby varying the width of the music sheet and allowing it to shift laterally relatively to the tracker bar and causing the perforations to similarly shift out of registration with their corresponding vent ducts in the tracker bar.

This same difficulty may also be caused by irregularities in the trimming of the edges of the music sheet and the primary object of my present invention is to provide means for automatically maintainin exact registration. between the perforatlons in the music sheet and ducts inthe tracker bar during the playing of a musical selection. In other words, the broad\ob]'ect of my present invention is to automatically establish a balance of relative position between the music sheet and `tracker bar so that abnormal lateral shifting of either of these parts relatively to the other which would tend to bring the erforations of the music sheet 40 out ofregistration with the ducts of the tracker bar will bring into action means for rea'djusting or restoring such parts to their normal relative position. These objects may be carried out by automatically shifting the Aiftracker bar endyvise relatively to the music -sheet or by similarly shifting the' musicsheet laterally relative tothe tracker bar throughI the medium of a pneumatically balanced'movable member and suitable connections between it and the shiftable member together with suitable ducts and connections with the adjusting pneumatic whereby the pneumatic balance of said member maybe broken by uncovering one Music-Sheets, of which the of the ducts through the shifting of the music sheet or tracker bar thereby causing the action of the movable part of the adjusting pneumatic to readjust such parts to their normal relative position.

In the drawings, Figures 1, 2 and 3 are elevations partly broken away and partly in section of three different forms of devices for carrying out the objects ofmy invention and Fig. 4 is a detail transverse sectional.

view through one end of the tracker bar showing one of the pneumatic governor ducts. Y

In each of the Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is Shown a suitable frame 1 in which is mounted a tracker bar -2- and a perforated music sheet -3, the latter being adapted to be wound and unwound upon and from suit? able rollers -4- and 5 which are journaled in suitable bearings in the frame -1-\- at opposite sides of the tracker bar, said tracker bar being provided withthe usual ducts (5- While the music sheet is provided with the usual perforations 7- adapted to register with the ducts 6 as the music sheet is wound from the roller -4-- on to the roller -5- during the play.-

ing of a musical selection'. This tracker bar 2- is also provided with additional vent ducts or ports -8- and -8 located at opposite ends of a series of ducts -6-1 and are preferably e ongated transversely of the bar and spaced apart from outside to outside a distance substantially equal to the width of themusic sheet -3- so that when the perforations -7- are traveling in exact registration with their respective ducts -6-, the edges of the music sheet travel along the outer edges of and therefore just cover the additional ducts 8 to prevent entrance of atmospheric air thereto except when uncovered by the lateral shift or end# Wise shift of the tracker bar.

The tracker bar -2- is shiftablevendwise in suitable guidesY in the ends ofthe frame -las clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4 while the frame -1-'.is stationary andthe rollers -4- and -5-' which carry the music sheet are fixed 'from endwise move. ment except as the roller -5- may bere' moved and replaced in the usual manner when not connected to the music sheet.'

responding ports 8 and 8' when the ports are connected. respectively by relatively large conduits or passages Q and 9 to separate air chambers 10 and 10 which are located at opposite sides of a movable partition or diaphragm 11 This diaphragm is rovided with a transverse 'airpassage w ich is-connected by a fiexible conduit 13- to an exhaust chamber 17 in which a partial vacuum .is maintained in suitable air exhausing devices not necessary to herein illustrate or describe as the air exhausing device forms no part of my present invention.

The air' passage 12- in the movable diaphragm 1l-communicates with thc opposrte chambers 10'- andl 10 through extremely small air passages or bleed holes I4- by which an equal air tension or partial vacuinn is normally maintained in the chambers 10 and` 10 and their corlatter are covered by the edges of the music sheet 3-.

As previously stated the opposite edges of the music sheet normally cover the ports or governing .ducts 8 when the erforations 7 are traveling in registration with their corresponding ducts lbut if for any reason there is expansion or shrinkage of the paper or irregularity in trimming o the 'edges thereof, the music sheet should shift laterally suflicient to uncover one of the. orts as for instance the port 8 it lil allow atmospheric air to'enter the port 8- andthence through the conduit 9 into the exhaust. chamber 10- therebyl breaking;r the pneumatic balance of the movable member or diaphragm 11 and allowing the latter to be drawn or forced toward the'o )posite side of the pirellmatic by the inequality of pressure at op )osite sides thereof which causes said movalile member to shift the tracker Abar 2- in the' same direction through the. medimn of vIn like manner if the port 8 is un-v ecovered b v. the shifting of the music sheet,

atmospheric nir istat once admitted to the chamber' 10 through the conduit -9-,,I again breaking the pneumatic balance of the diaphragm 11 causingthe latter to be forced or drawn in the opposite direction and thereby restoring the tracker bar to its normal position with the port 8 under cover of. the adjacent edge of the music sheet and the perforations 7- in registration with the d ucts 6 it being understood that as'soon as both 'ofthe ports 8- and 8'- are brought under cover of the music sheet, the equality of air tension under miuus pressure is restored in the chambers` 10 and 10 causing the diaphragm 11 to assum'e an intermediate or normal neutral position.

In Fig. 2 is shown thesame frame 1-.

and for this purpose the ends ofboth roll-er spindles are. connected by a. yoke 20 which in turn is connected by the link Y 21 to a movable diaphra 11 of'adouble chambered pneumatic. The cham;

' bers 10 and 10 of this pneumatic are separated by the diaphragm 11' said chambers being connected by conduits and 9' to the ducts 8 and 8' respectively and are alsol connected by relatively small bleed ducts vor passages 1l to the air exhaust chamber 17 whereby a partial vacuum or minus pressure of Aequal tension is normally maintained in both chambers. In this modification shown in Fig. 2 the samev balance Vor normal ad-A justment of the music sheet and tracker bar relatively to each other is' maintained bv the shifting of the rollers with the music s reet thereon insteadof shifting the tracker bar as shown in Fig. 1; otherwisev thebalancing action is substantiallyvthe same as previously described. y

In- Fig. 3 is shown the frame 1-, tracker bar 2--,v rollers lt and and music sheet -3 but in this instance lthe frame with the rollers and music sheet mounted therein is shiftable endwise relatively to the tracker bar" which is fixedfrom endwisc movement, the means for shifting the frame and parts mounted-therein being substantially the. s'ame as showniu Fig. 1 except that the fmo'vable diaphragm 11 is connected to'the frame through the me diunr of a link 15' and lever 1G- n It will be seen from the foregt'ring description that in Fig. 1. the tracker bar is shiftable endwise relatively vtn thc music sheet while in Figs. 2 and 3 the music sheet is slriftablc relatively to the tracker bar but in'v each modification, the means forc'ecting Vthe shifting movement or adj ustmcnt ot the tracker fbar. and music slreet`r'elatively to eachother isusubstantially thesame both being dependent upon'a pneurnatically bal` anccd movable member connected .m'the It will be observedlfrom the vforegoing description that the chambers of thel shiftfA ing.r pneumatics by which normal relation between the music sheet 'and governing portsvis maintained, communicate through relatively small airipassages or bleed holes with thc exhaust'chamber 17- 'and also communicate through relatively large air lia' passages or ducts' with the governinff' ports. fl

It therefore 'follows' that the airln tween said chambers is normally balancedl as long as normal relationis maintained between the music sheetl and its governing ports,- but should one of the ports be uni covered or opened t@ the atmosphere, it

isclearly evident that the sudden inrush of atmospheric air to the corresponding chamber would cause said diaphragm to `move "toward the side of lowest'pressure. This movement, however, wouldbe slow by reason of the slow escape of air from the low pressure chamber through the relatively l5 small bleed hole and it is this slowness of -action which is desired because if the tracker bar or music' sheet supports were shifted suddenly or at the instant either overning port was uncoveredthe slightest egree,v such tracker bar or supports would be carried too far in one direction or the other and there would' be a tendency to keep such parts in 4continued vibration. Another reason why this slowness of action .25` is desired is to prevent the shifting of the tracker bar or music sheets in caseof a slight mutilation of the edge vof the sheet whichv might for an instant uncover one of the ports and thereby throw the parts out 80 of adjustment, whereas if the shifting action vis slow,the mutilated portion would have passed the part before 'the normal relation was disturbed.V

What I claim is:

, 1. The combination of a tracker bar havingaseries of music apertures, means for drawing a perforated note sheet forward over the tracker bar, two pneumatic control openings appurtenant to the tracker bar and 40 arranged for coperation' with the note sheet, a double-acting pneumatic motor con-l nected to adjust the lateral relation between the. note sheetand` tracker, bar, saidpneumatic motor ihavingl .two chambers, 'a connection between one chamber. and one control opening, and a connection between the other chamber and the other control opening arranged `4so that when the note sheet shifts to one side or the'other, air will pass throughone control opening and one'. connectionv into one of the chambers of the pneumatic, which will expand to restore the normal lateral relation between the tracker bar-and notesheet.' if' 155-` 2 .v-C lhe combination of a tracker bar havfing'a series of musicapertures, means for rawing a 4perforated n note sheet forward over the tracker bar, two pneumatic control openings appurtenant to the trackervbar and arranged for cooperation withl ;the note sheet, a double-acting pneumatic motor connected to adjust, the lateral relation between the note sheet and tracker bar, said pneumatje motor having two chambers, a con- "ne0ti011 from the exhaust having a restricted.

= w ereby opening into each chamber, whereby the shifts to one side or the other, air will pass through one control opening and onecon- Y nection intoone of the chambers of .the pneumatic, which will expandto restore the normal lateral relation-between the tracker bar and note sheet.

3. Guide mechanism for traveling'music sheets comprising a tracker, a double motor having a movable member normally balanced at equal air tensions on opposite sides thereof,- a traveling sheet,`air'ports normally in -the same condition when the traveling sheet is in lnormal position communicating g5 with opposite sides of the movable member and adapted to have their condition changed by the-shifting of the sheet-from its normal lin'e of travel, whereby atmospheric air nd-4 mitted through the changed condition of a A port to the corresponding side of the member causes the operation of the'latter, and means operated by the movement of said member for restoring the normal relation between the sheet and tracker.

4. Guide mechanism for traveling music sheets comprising a tracker, a movable member normally balanced at equal air tensions on opposite sides thereof, a travelingsheet, air ports normally closed when :thetraveling sheet is; in normal position and communicating with opposite sides of. the movable member, one opening adapted to be opened when the sheet shifts in' one direction from normal and the other opening to be opened when the Sheet shifts in the other direction from normal, whereby atmospheric air admitted through an open port to the corresponding side of the member causes the operation of the latter, and means operated ,by the movement of Said member for restoring said normal relation betwn the ,Sheet and tracker. -v.r

,5- Guide mechanism for traveling music sheets comprising a movable member normally balanced under equalair tension at opposite sides thereof, thertravelin'g sheet airports normally closed by opposite' edges oi"Y the traveling sheet and communicating withopposite sides of the movable member and adapted to be opened by the shifting of t e-sheet` from itsnormal line -of travel atmospheric air fis:A admitted through the opened port to the corresponding side of said member to causeT the operation of the latter, and means operated-by the movement of said member fr restoring normal relation between the sheet and ports.

6. Guide mechanism for traveling music las sheets comprising an exhaust-chamber, airv rush of atmospheric air to one of the airchambers in case the corresponding port is uncovered by the music sheet, and means actuated by such operation for bringing the sheet and ports' into'normal relation.

7. Guide mechanism for traveling music sheets comprising in combination with thetraveling sheet relatively large air passages having ports normally closed to the atmosphere by the music-sheet and adapted to be opened by abnormal positions of the portcovering portions of the sheet, relatively smaller air-passages in which a partial vacuum of equal tension is maintained, said smaller passages communicating with their respective larger passages, and means 1ncluding pneumatic chambers and a movable member brought into action by the opening of either of the ports for restoring normal relation between said ports and music sheet.

8. In combination with a traveling music sheet and tracker-bar of a self-playing musical instrument, an exhaust chamber, pneumatics communicating through bleed ducts with the exhaust chamber, air-ports on the tracker-bar normally closed by portions of the music sheet and adapted to be opened to the atmosphere by abnormal relation between said sheet and ports, said ports communicating through relatively larger ducts with said pneumatics for operating the latter when either port is opened, and means for transmitting motion from the pneumatics to the tracker-bar to restore normal relation between the she/t and ports..

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of March, 1908. v

LEWIS B. DOMAN.l lVitnesses:

H. E. CHASE, M. M. No'rr. 

